Sovereign Grace Church

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

(ROMANS 8:28)

This verse is one of the most well known in the Bible, but I know very few people who believe it! Of course, God’s people believe this, but most people seem to have the insane idea that there is some kind of power struggle between God and Satan. Religions’s sentimental idea of God will not allow them to accept the truth that everything that takes place, even sin and evil, is under God’s direct control.

This error, just as all other, is in direct defiance of the plain teaching of scripture. The Word reveals a God who allows men and devils to do certain evil deeds, which they willingly and inevitably do without His restraining them, in order to serve His eternal purpose. All evil acts which do not serve God’s design, are restrained and prevented by Him.

There is no evil, however desperately wicked, that we will not do unless God’s restraining grace over rules our depraved will. Because of this truth, our evil deeds, when deliberately allowed by God, are as certain as those decrees of God which He positively executes. God is not surprised, His purposes are never thwarted or altered in the slightest by anything any of His creatures do. On the contrary, all of our deeds are part of His eternal purpose, and are under His absolute control. This does not at all imply that God participates in the guilt of our deeds. The deeds are ours and we willingly do them. God only allows them because they promote His glory and the eternal good of His people.

The alternative god, the one who is believed by the masses, either is unable to prevent evil or allows it without any reason other than to avoid infringing upon man’s almighty free will. If he cannot prevent evil, then he has no eternal immutable purpose at all, but merely reacts to the deeds of his creatures. If he allows evil for the sake of our free will, then we have a god who would certainly be pleased if we would do right, but in order to protect our “freedom” must allow us to bring eternal punishment upon ourselves! I’m thankful that we have and worship no such god as this, but the true Sovereign of Whom it is written, “For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen” ROMANS 11:36.

Even when Satan entered into Judas Iscariot and his wicked plot was formed and carried out, God’s eternal glory and the good of His elect were being served. Christ’s enemies were acting according to their wicked natures and intended the ultimate evil. God was directing every thought and every step in this crime by His infinite wisdom and grace!  The eternal redemption of His elect people is the end toward which all of God’s purposes work.

There’s only one thing to do about a God such as this. Worship Him! He directs even the evil spirits to do His almighty bidding (JUDGES 9:23, 1 SAMUEL 16:14, 1 KINGS 22:20-23). We can say to all of our enemies on this earth who hate and would harm us, “As for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good” [GENESIS 50:20].

“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” ROMANS 11:33.